There were only a few illuminated plates left on the shelves, lighting what no longer looked like a room but more of a war zone. Broken glass and china littered the floor, and the long table had been smashed into unrecognizable pieces. Even the chairs had been destroyed except for one, but it had been firmly embedded into the wall hours ago.
Both twins were pale, and Harriet had a bloody nose. I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, trying to keep my eyes focused on the disk, afraid that if I looked away even for a split second, I’d lose my mental grip. I kept expecting our grandfather to say something like, “Let’s take a short break” or “We will continue this tomorrow,” but he remained silent, as did my aunt. For all I knew, my grandfather was asleep, and Anne passed out from too much wine.
A cool breeze brushed over my legs, startling me. The cold pressure in the air, which had darkened significantly, crowded the space around me. I sucked in too quickly and nearly froze my lungs.
“Finish this,” a deep voice whispered.
My heart pumped faster. Boaz?
“Now!”
My shoulders slumped forward. But I’m so tired. Help me.
“You are the great Eve Segur,” he hissed. “Push harder!”
But there are two of them!
“There are two of them,” he repeated, his voice thoughtful.
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t understand.”
“There are no rules.”
I thought hard, trying to grasp what he wanted.
“End this!” he shouted inside my mind, making me jump.
And then his words made sense.
I could end this. Right now.
Before I could think twice, I used the last of my mental strength to take hold of the wooden curio cabinet behind the twins. There were nails driven into its back, holding it fast to the wall. At first, they groaned and resisted my pull, but their rebellion couldn’t last. I jerked it one last time. The curio moaned and creaked as it fell forward. It suddenly looked much bigger and heavier than I originally thought. When it collapsed on top of the girls, dust and debris billowed into the air. A single scream was all that escaped.
I stared at it, the image before me like an abstract painting. The disk dropped to the floor nearby, making me jump.
“Eve…” Boaz’s voice said, his voice stern.
My gaze lowered to the silver disk. Without opposition, I lifted it with minimal concentration and directed it across the room and into the shield where it fit perfectly.
From the balcony, a slow clap began, and the room lit up, the lights magically fixed. My grandfather stood there, his hands slapping together. Anne was next to him, but she wasn’t celebrating. She was staring at the overturned curio, her mouth open and her face pale. Wine from a tipped-over bottle poured from the balcony.
I slowly followed Anne’s gaze to the toppled-over hutch; a dark pool of blood stretched out beneath it. A sharp breath caught in my chest, and my knees weakened.
What have I done?
I stumbled forward, pushing my way through the broken debris and shattered glass, while my grandfather spoke.
“You have won, Eve. All that I have will be transferred to your parents’ account, and in time the fortune will become yours. Like generations past, you will use this money to further our political power in both our world and the humans.”
I reached the curio cabinet and tried to lift it but was too weak. “Help me!”
My grandfather and Anne had somehow moved off of the balcony and stood not far from me. Anne’s color had returned, her expression unreadable.
“It is done. You are free to go,” my grandfather said. He turned around and walked toward the door. Anne followed him.
“Anne!” I cried. “These are your daughters. Help me!”
“I’ll send a maid,” she called over her shoulder as she stepped outside into the night. The door closed behind her.
I yelled in frustration and tried again to lift the heavy shelving, even trying to use magic, but either I had nothing left or my emotions were somehow blocking it. I glanced all around the room. “Boaz!”
The door opened, and he strolled in with open arms and a huge smile. “You did it! I knew you would.”
“Get over here and help me. Now!” I again tried to lift, grunting and groaning.
Boaz came next to me, but stepped back to avoid the red puddle I was standing in.
I took hold of his arm and jerked him forward. “Lift this. Please. The twins are beneath it.”
His expression twisted into horror. “You did this?”
I blinked. A few times. Words struggled to come out of my mouth. “You told me to.”
“I would never tell you to kill someone.” Boaz bent down and easily tossed the curio aside.
I turned the first twin over. I think it was Helen. Half of her head was caked in blood, but I couldn’t tell if it was hers or not. She moaned and her eyes fluttered open, exposing a glossy blue surface.
“Helen?”
She stared through me.
“Helen?” I asked a little louder. “Are you all right?”
I waited a few seconds then patted her cheek. No response. At least she was breathing.
“Help Harriet,” I said to Boaz. I reached under Helen and pulled her body away from the broken glass and to the corner where I propped her against the wall. “Helen? Can you hear me?”